Delhi HC Pulls up Centre over IndiGo Flight Crisis, Directed the Airlines to Pay Compensation to Harassed Passengers
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Dec 10: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday pulled up the Centre over the crisis in largest carrier IndiGo which saw hundreds of flight cancellations, and questioned its failure to prevent airlines from increasing their fares to nearly Rs 40,000, even as the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has set up two teams to be deployed at the carrier’s office in Gurugram to oversee various operations, including crew utilisation and refunds.
“If there were a crisis, how could other airlines be permitted to take advantage? How can it go to 35,000 to 39,000? How could other airlines start charging? How can it happen?” Justice Tushar Rao Gedela asked.
The Delhi High Court also told IndiGo to take steps for payment of compensation to passengers left stranded at the airports. The bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Gedela referred to a circular dated August 6, 2010, issued by the DGCA dealing with facilities and compensation in cases of denied boarding, cancellations and delays.
The court ordered that the provision “for payment of compensation will be strictly adhered to by Respondent 3 (IndiGo) and shall be ensured by the ministry of civil aviation and DGCA.” “In addition to the presence of the circular, if there are any other measures available for payment of damages, in such situation, the same shall also be ensures by authorities,” the court added.
During the hearing, the Bench told the airline to begin compensation disbursal. “Please start making the payment of compensation. It is not only in respect of the cancellation, but also because of the other suffering,” the court said, referring to passengers who spent hours stranded in airports across the country.
When IndiGo submitted that the incident had “dented” the reputation it had built over many years, the court responded that such submissions had no legal basis. “That we don’t know. This is no legal plea. We will pass an order directing you to make compensation,” the court said. “…What about the agony passengers had to endure as they stood stranded, facing what they described as a hostile staff?” the court remarked, while clarifying that it had not passed any order yet but underscored that compensation is payable under the 2010 circular and must be adhered to by the airline.
The Bench also expressed concern over the sharp rise in ticket prices on other airlines at the height of the disruptions. “Air tickets that were available for ₹4,000–₹5,000 went up to ₹25,000–₹30,000… How could the fare go to ₹39,000–₹40,000? How can it happen?” the court remarked, asking how other carriers were permitted to “take advantage” of the situation. The sudden rush and demand spike amid the IndiGo chaos led to the doubling and tripling of flight prices, with passengers stranded due to cancellations struggling with last-minute bookings with other airlines.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma, representing the Centre, informed the court that it had intervened for the first time by issuing fare caps. Taking note that the Centre had indeed issued an order to check unreasonable fare surges, the court said, “We appreciate the steps taken by the Ministry and DGCA.” However, the Court also questioned how such a crisis was allowed to escalate to the point of leaving “lakhs of passengers unattended” at airports.
The additional solicitor general read out the list of measures taken by the Centre. However, the Delhi High Court said, “They are all taken by you once the crisis erupted. The question is not this. Why at all the situation arise? And what have you been doing?” The court also questioned the Centre why the pilots were overworked and what action could be taken to prevent it.
The additional solicitor general also told the court that the DGCA had sent a show-cause notice to IndiGo – which responded with a “profuse apology.” To this, the court said, while it “appreciates their efforts” in handling the chaos, why such a situation had precipitated in the first place. “We have said we appreciate your efforts. However, what bothers us is how such a situation was allowed to precipitate, leaving lakhs of passengers unattended at the airports.
“Such a situation is not confined to causing inconvenience to the passengers but also affects the economy of the country, as in the present day fast movement of passengers is an important aspect to keep the economy functioning. What steps were taken to compensate the passengers? What action has been taken to ensure that the employees of service providers behave responsibly?” the court questioned the Centre.
The Centre started its crackdown against IndiGo for the chaos at airports, with the DGCA slashing the airline’s winter schedule, reducing the number of flights by 5 per cent. IndiGo operates about 2,200 domestic and international flights daily – which means a reduction of 110-odd flights daily. The slots freed due to this would be given to other airlines, the government said.
Union Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu recently told the Parliament that no airline would be permitted to cause hardship to passengers, adding that safety was “non-negotiable.” “Airports are reporting normal conditions without crowding or distress. Refunds, baggage tracing and passenger support measures remain under continuous supervision by the ministry. DGCA has issued show-cause notices to IndiGo’s senior leadership and commenced a detailed enforcement investigation. Depending on the outcome, strict and appropriate action as empowered under the aircraft rules and Act will be taken,” he said.
The court was also informed by the centre that a committee has already been constituted to examine the disruptions. The Court noted that since IndiGo would be given an opportunity to present its case, it refrained from commenting on the cause of the cancellations. The matter has been listed for further hearing on January 22, 2026, with the court directing all respondents to file their responses before the next date.
Meanwhile, the crackdown on IndiGo began on Wednesday as the DGCA ordered nine of its officers to be stationed at the airline’s corporate office to audit the airline’s fleet, pilot and crew utilisation, and monitor flight cancellations, delays, refunds, and passenger compensation status.
Earlier in the day, the DGCA directed IndiGo’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pieter Elbers to appear at its office on Thursday and submit a complete report, along with comprehensive data and updates relating to the recent flight disruptions, Mr Elbers has been asked to appear at the DGCA office at 3 p.m. on Thursday. The DGCA also said the CEO, along with senior officials from all relevant departments, has been instructed to attend the meeting.
As per the regulator’s order, the airline has been asked to present information on the flight restoration, recruitment plan of pilots and crew, with updated position of pilot and cabin crew strength, number of flights cancelled and refunds processed, among others.
The DGCA also appointed a panel to probe the disruptions. The four-member committee has been mandated to identify the root causes behind the operational breakdown. It comprises Joint D.G. (Director General) Sanjay Brahamane, Deputy Director General Amit Gupta, senior Flight Operations Inspector (FOI) Kapil Manglik, and FOI Lokesh Rampal. The panel will closely examine manpower planning, fluctuating crew rostering systems and the airline’s readiness to implement the latest duty period and rest norms for pilots.
The DGCA has set up two teams to be deployed at the carrier’s office in Gurugram to oversee various operations, including crew utilisation and refunds. The Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), designed to ensure pilots and crew get enough rest, have been cited by IndiGo as one of the reasons for the massive disruptions it has been seeing since December 2, leading to over 5,000 flights being cancelled.
Officials from the DGCA said on Wednesday that the ‘oversight teams’ would submit a daily report to the regulator by 6 pm. The first team will look into aspects like the total fleet, pilot strength, crew utilisation (in hours), crew under training, split duties, unplanned leaves, standby crew, flights per day, and the total number of sectors affected on account of crew shortage
It will also keep an eye on the average stage length (distance flown in a single leg, from one take off to landing) and the airline’s network to get a complete picture of the operations. The second team will look into problems caused by the crisis, including the refund status (both from the airline’s end and websites/agents), compensation to passengers under the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR), on-time performance, returning lost baggage and the cancellation status of various flights.
On Wednesday, IndiGo posted on X that all of its 65,000 employees have come together to restore normalcy in operations and asked passengers to have faith in the airline. “The IndiGo Board has been closely monitoring the situation while the Crisis Management Group of the Board has been meeting every day, and actively working with the CEO, the senior management and various teams deployed on the ground to restore normalcy in operations… Please have faith in us. We are getting there,” a statement posted on the airline’s handle said.
